AKVIS NatureArt gets new Transform tool, more
AKVIS (www.akvis.com) has released AKVIS NatureArt 7.0, an update of its collection of nature effects for images. The software can be used as a standalone application and/or Photoshop plugin, on Mac OS X and Windows.
Version 7.0 adds a Transform tool that allows the transforming of selections and direction lines. It improves the Sun effect with a new algorithm. The upgrade also adds: the Reverse Colors option to the Rainbow effect; the Line Sets (ready-to-use lightning layouts) to the Lightning effect; the ability to import/export user presets; and a History States parameter to the program's Preferences.
A demo of AKVIS NatureArt 7.0 is available for download. Registration for the Home license costs US$72.
Maintain releases Cocktail 8.3 (Yosemite Edition)
Maintain has served Cocktail 8.3 (Yosemite Edition), the latest maintenance update for users running OS X Yosemite.
Cocktail is a general purpose utility for OS X that lets users clean, repair and optimize their Macs. Version 8.3 adds the ability to clear clear Dictation & Speech, Help, Spotlight and VoiceOver caches. It also resolves some minor compatibility issues with OS X Yosemite 10.10.3.
Cocktail 8.3 (Yosemite Edition) requires OS X Yosemite 10.10 to run. Cocktail (Mavericks Edition) for OS X 10.9, Cocktail (Mountain Lion Edition) for OS X 10.8 and Cocktail (Lion Edition) for OS X 10.7 are available for download from Maintain website.
Cocktail 8.3 (Yosemite Edition) costs US$19 for a single user license. It's available for purchase from the Maintain website (http://www.maintain.se/cocktail).
Strata announces Design 3D CX 8.0 for Mac
Strata has announced the latest version of its Strata Design 3D CX app (http://tinyurl.com/lw7t9ln) for creative professionals. Version 8.0 introduces features designed to enhance the design workflow; also, it leverages some of the latest technology in Mac OS X to provide access to more memory and faster rendering.
Some of the new features in Strata Design 3D CX 8 include: 64-bit rendering enhancements. LiveRay, Strata’s interactive photo-real renderer, that let’s users quickly interact with their models to perfect their textures and lighting. Publish 3D makes it easy to output to Augment (leading virtual reality application), Sketchfab (online interactive 3D visualization) and i.materialise (3D printing platform).
Soft shadows are now available from all light sources, including global lights. New anti-alias filters and HDRI image adjustments provide more control over final renders. HDR Light Studio is integrated and available as a plug-in application, allowing users to create...
Apple posts supplemental update to Mac OS X 10.10.3
Apple has posted a supplemental update to the recently-released Mac OS X 10.10.3. It addresses a video driver glitch that caused some Mac users to experience startup trouble.
In Apple's words, "OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 Supplemental Update 10.10.3" "fixes a video driver issue that may prevent your Mac from starting up when running certain apps that capture video." It's available for all OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 users at the Mac App Store.
iConnectivity releases iConnectAUDIO4+
iConnectivity (www.iConnectivity.com) has released iConnectAUDIO4+, their next-generation audio and MIDI interface for Mac OS X, Windows, and iOS systems. It has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$349.99.
iConnectAUDIO4+ is a multi-host audio and MIDI interface. Its Multi-Host technology supports multiple audio and MIDI peripherals, and also multiple computing devices simultaneously. It can handle any combination of up to two Macs, PCs, and iOS devices as well as up to nine connected MIDI peripherals.
You can control a virtual instrument (or any music program) on one computer device from another one. Audio and MIDI flow back and forth without extra cables, and with no audio degradation. All the computer devices act like a single integrated machine.
Many peripherals use USB for MIDI I/O, but an iOS device can only access one of them with its single port. The iConnnectAUDIO4+ Host Port eliminates that limitation, enabling users to connect up to eight Class-Compliant USB MIDI...
Conservation Fund partners with Apple to protect U.S. working...
The Conservation Fund (http://www.conservationfund.org/) is partnering with Apple to help protect working forests in the United States. The Apple initiative will conserve more than 36,000 acres of working forestland in Maine and North Carolina, ensuring these forests stay forests and any timber on the land is harvested sustainably.
"Apple is clearly leading by example—one that we hope others will follow," says Larry Selzer, president and CEO of The Conservation Fund. "By all accounts, the loss of America’s working forests is one of our nation’s greatest environmental challenges. The initiative announced today is precedent-setting.”"
The forests that Apple and The Conservation Fund are protecting are larger than the land area of the city of San Francisco. Through its commitment, Apple can ensure a steady supply of sustainably harvested timber to paper and pulp mills.
Apple and The Conservation Fund are protecting more than 32,400 acres on the Mattawamkeag River in Aroostook County,...
Apple, SunPower to build two solar power projects in China
SunPower Corp. (www.sunpower.com), a company that makes solar panels, says it plans to partner with Apple to build two solar power projects totaling 40 megawatts (MW) in ABA Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefectures, Sichuan Province of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).
When complete, the two projects will be co-owned by Sichuan Shengtian New Energy Development Co., SunPower's project development joint venture, and Apple. The projects include Hongyuan Huanju Ecological Energy Co., Ltd., (Hongyuan) located in Hongyuan County and Ruoergai Huanju Ecological Energy Co., Ltd., (Zioge) located in Ruoergai County. Both are in the ABA Prefecture and will be 20 MW each.
The projects are currently being constructed, and the Hongyuan project already has 2 MW connected to the grid utilizing SunPower's LCPV tracker. The technology combines single-axis tracking technology with rows of parabolic mirrors, reflecting light onto SunPower Maxeon solar cells. Completion of the projects is expected in...
Prosoft Engineering announces CleanExit for the Mac
Prosoft Engineering has released CleanExit, a secure hard drive wiping software for Mac OS X and Windows that erases your computer hard drive "so your files are completely and permanently unrecoverable, protecting you from identity theft," says CEO Greg Brewer.
"Let’s face it, your computer holds everything that’s important to you. Your financial information and passwords, personal files, family pictures and other files that you don’t ever want to have end up in the wrong hands. It’s important you completely wipe all of those files from your computer or hard drive before you sell, donate or recycle it.," he says. "As the developer of the top-selling Data Rescue recovery software, we know exactly what it takes to securely delete your files so no one can ever steal them from your old hard drive or computer."
CleanExit deletes all files from any type of hard drive, flash-based drive or camera media card. The utility writes over all sectors of your hard drive. It costs US$19.95 and is...
Space Hulk: Ascension for Mac available on Stream
Full Control says the third expansion for Space Hulk: Ascension is live for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux on Steam. The Dark Angels Expansion "Bringer of Sorrow" unlocks the Deathwing of the Dark Angels Chapter and includes a further 20 story missions, and 20 flash missions for players to conquer.
Here's how it's described: "Plasma Cannons shoot out huge fireballs of glowing plasma that splash across large areas, causing insane amounts of damage. They can be overcharged for additional splash damage. The Apothecary is a support class that complements players command slot in their squad, and bolsters the resolve of nearby Terminators and supports defensive play styles.
"Based on the best-selling board game set within the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Hulk: Ascension, is a 3D digital turn based strategy game, that features reworked mechanics and a host of new features, including RPG progression mechanics, new Genestealer variations, new rules, and mission structures."
To purchase...
Universal Audio announces next-gen Thunderbolt 2 interfaces
Universal Audio (www.uaudio.com) has introduced a new line of Apollo audio interfaces for Mac Thunderbolt users.
They sport A/D and D/A conversion, new monitoring functions, Thunderbolt cascading of up to four interfaces, and realtime UAD processing, all housed within a sleek, black aluminum package. Now shipping, the Apollo 8 (US$1,999 with UAD-2 Duo processing; $2,499 with UAD-2 Quad Processing) features four Unison-enabled mic preamps and Hi-Z inputs for tracking through classic preamp emulations from Neve, API, and Universal Audio. Also included are new front panel monitoring functions such as Alt Speakers, Dim, and Mono.
Shipping in the second quarter, the Apollo 8p ($2,999 with UAD-2 Quad processing) features eight Unison-enabled mic preamps and Hi-Z inputs, allowing recordists to track larger projects through classic preamp emulations from Neve, API, and Universal Audio. Apollo 8p also includes new front panel monitoring functions such as Alt Speakers, Dim, and Mono.
Also...
PaintCode 2.3 adds over 15 new features, including SVG export
PixelCut has launched PaintCode 2.3 (www.paintcodeapp.com), an update of its painting app for Mac OS X. The upgrade adds over 15 new features.
PaintCode 2.3 adds support for exporting SVG documents, introduces a completely rebuilt image export module, improves compatibility with other drawing apps and adds support for importing PDF, AI and EPS documents. For "power users," it boasts a brand new multi-threaded renderer that significantly improves performance in many scenarios.
PaintCode 2.3 is available immediately as a free update. For new users the cost is US$99.99. PaintCode is available at the product website and the Mac App Store.
DVDBurner for Mac OS X redesigned for speed and ease of use
Cisdem (www.cisdem.com) has released DVDBurner 3.0, an update of the $39.99 DVD authoring software that provides a way to enhance, share and burn videos to DVD with drag and drop simplicity.
Cisdem DVDBurner allows users to burn various videos including MP4, AVI, VOB, FLV, M2TS, MTS, SWF, MKV, MPG, MPEG, TS, MOV, QT, RMVB, etc. to high quality DVD Disc, DVD Folder, or DVD ISO file with fast speed. Users can easily select a DVD menu from dozens of DVD menu templates and personalize the output DVD with audio tracks and subtitles.
Version 3.0 has been completely redesigned for speed and ease of use, according to the folks at Cisdem.
Power Manager for Mac OS X gets new triggers, conditions, actions
DssW has announced Power Manager 4.4 for Mac OS X. This release adds new triggers, conditions, and actions.
Power Manager is an energy saving solution for Mac OS X 10.7 and higher. It enables users to create energy saving schedules and to automate time-consuming tasks. It can power on a Mac, run a series of tasks, and power off the Mac without requiring any interaction.
Power Manager is available through the DssW web site (https://www.dssw.co.uk/powermanager/) for US$49.95. Version 4.4 is a free upgrade for users of Power Manager 4.x. Existing users can update using Power Manager's automatic software update. A demo is available at the DssW web site.
MacTech Benchmarks: Outlook, Email Account Types, Server Impact
Last month Microsoft announced the Office 2016 Mac Preview. Naturally, it includes new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook 2016.
The new Outlook sports a complete overhaul of the innards of the free email service built to keep you connected across your devices with organizational tools and a suite of Microsoft apps and services. So how much faster is Outlook 2016 when compared to Outlook 2011?”
To answer that question, MacTech put Outlook 2016 (version 15.8) through its paces on Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 on a variety of Macs — including iMacs and MacBook Pros — to see how things perform on a variety of system set-ups. MacTech conducted about 3,000 tests.
The test bench included configurations of Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10.2, with Office for Mac 2011, and Outlook 2016 for Mac version 15.8 installed, each with the most up-to-date patches. All installations were completely clean installations of both OS X and Microsoft Office.
Sync is one of the most important...
HoudahGeo adds support for the new Mac OS X Photos app
Houdah Software (www.houdah.com) has introduced HoudahGeo 4.1, an upgrade to its one-stop photo geocoding solution for Mac OS X (10.8 and higher).
The app "pins" photos to locations where they were taken. Just like a GPS-enabled camera, HoudahGeo embeds latitude, longitude and altitude information within the image file. The app can load images from iPhoto, Aperture and Lightroom libraries. HoudahGeo 4.1 can now also use photos from the new Apple Photos media library.
A full-featured trial version is available. Licenses can can be purchased from the Houdah Software store. HoudahGeo 4.1 is priced at US$29 for a single-user license and $44 for a family license.
OWC Envoy Pro mini is now available
OWC World Computing (www.macsales.com) has announced the Envoy Pro mini, an aluminum, pocket-sized thumb drive with the capability of a full-sized desktop-class SSD.
It's available now in 120GB and 240GB capacities for US$119 and $199, respectively. A 480GB is in the works and will cost $599.
The Envoy Pro mini achieves sustained transfer speeds up to 433MB/second, making it the perfect portable storage solution for demanding creative production workflows, says Larry O'Connor, founder and CEO of OWC World Computing. For comparison, FireWire 800 transfers at approximately 84MB/second and USB 2.0 at 37MB/second. For more information go to http://tinyurl.com/nkjbyco .
Apple's ResearchKit is now available to medical researchers.
Apple says its ResearchKit is now available to medical researchers. It's a software framework designed for medical and health research that helps doctors, scientists and other researchers gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using mobile devices, is now available to researchers and developers.
The first research apps developed using ResearchKit study asthma, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, and have enrolled over 60,000 iPhone users in just the first few weeks of being available on the Apple App App Store, says Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations. Now medical researchers all over the world will be able to use ResearchKit to develop their own apps and developers can also contribute new research modules to the open source framework.
"We are delighted and encouraged by the response to ResearchKit from the medical and research community and the participants contributing to medical research....
Apple’s WWDC kicks off June 8 at San Francisco’s Moscone West
Apple will hold its 26th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 8 through June 12 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, with more sessions than ever before streamed to developers.
WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions, over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies and fine tune their apps, as well as the Apple Design Awards which showcase the best new apps in the last year.
"We’ve got incredible new technologies for iOS and OS X to share with developers at WWDC and around the world, and can’t wait to see the next generation of apps they create," says Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
Developers can apply for tickets via the WWDC website (developer.apple.com/wwdc/tickets) now through Friday, April 17 at 10 a.m. (Pacific). Tickets will be issued to attendees through a random selection process, and developers will know the status of their application by Monday, April 20 at 5 p.m. There...
Absolute adds third-party patching capabilities
Absolute Software Corp. has added third-party patching capabilities for software applications with the release of Absolute Manage 6.8.
IT administrators can manage operating system patches for Mac and Windows devices, along with a wide range of third-party applications in a fully automated system that detects and downloads missing patches. Once each update receives administrator approval, Absolute Manage deploys and reports on the status of each patch.
The integration of an automated patch engine provides comprehensive coverage and updates for the most prevalent and at-risk third-party applications, Peter Frankl, vice president and general manager, client management solutions, at Absolute Software. With Absolute Manage 6.8, IT administrators can manage operating system patches for Mac and Windows devices, along with a wide range of third-party applications in a fully automated system that detects and downloads missing patches. Once each update receives administrator approval,...
Troi Serial Plug-in upgraded to version 3.2
Troi Automatisering has announced Troi Serial Plug-in 3.2 for FileMaker Pro 12 and 13. The tool gives FileMaker Pro access to external devices with a serial interface:
The new version (3.2.0.1) contains updated example files in the .fmp12 format for FileMaker 12 and 13. Variables are used to make the scripts more portable. Troi Serial Plug-in itself is still at version 3
The new 3.2.0.1 download can be obtained from http://tinyurl.com/8b7mu. The download contains the new example files. A demo is available for downloading.
Troi Serial Plug-in 3.2 works with FileMaker Pro 8 to 13. The plug-in can also be used with runtimes created by FileMaker Pro Advanced 8 to 13. The plug-in is available for Mac OS X 10.4.5 or higher, Windows XP (SP 2), Windows Vista and Windows 7 and 8.x.
Troi Serial Plug-in 3.2 also works with FileMaker Server 9 to 12 as a server-side plug-in and as a plug-in used by the web publishing engine. Version 3.2 is not 64-bit compatible so won't work with FileMaker Server...
IBM, Apple expand partnership to help transform medical research
IBM says its Health Cloud and Watson cognitive computing capabilities will support health data entered by customers in iOS apps using Apple's ResearchKit and HealthKit frameworks. The move, which complements IBM’s new Watson Health business unit, will arm medical researchers with a secure, open data storage solution, as well as access to IBM’s most sophisticated data analytics capabilities.
Mobile devices capture vast amounts of valuable health data from today’s consumers. HealthKit and ResearchKit harness that data so it can be used to improve health and accelerate medical research.
Apple's HealthKit enables developers to create consumer health apps designed to give users a more comprehensive way to manage their health and fitness, and ResearchKit is an open source software framework that gives medical researchers the tools to accelerate medical studies. HealthKit can be used to create apps that monitor health behaviors and help encourage users to adhere to their treatment plan....
OWC Viper Pro Thunderbolt External SSD premieres
Other World Computing (www.macsales.com) has announced the arrival of the Viper Pro Thunderbolt external SSD. It features dual Thunderbolt 2 ports and delivers sustained speeds up to 1350MB/second.
The Viper Pro Thunderbolt SSD will be available in two capacity options, 4TB and 8TB at prices of US$2.999 and $4,799, respectively. Both offer daisy-chain support for additional Thunderbolt devices, an aluminum design with a variable speed fan for quiet cooling, and a three-year limited warranty.
WiPowerBand designed to extend the Apple Watch's battery...
WiPowerBand.com has introduced a wearable battery extender for the Apple Watch. A compact battery and wireless power transmitter is embedded in a sleek molded unit that fits under the Apple smartwatch, providing extended battery life and protection, says Dr. Thomas Fiannulli, inventor of the device.
Current estimates show the wiPowerBand can nearly double the battery life of the Apple Watch through its unique patent pending design, he adds.The wiPowerBand device itself is charged using the Apple Lightning power cable, the same cable used to charge the iPhone. This helps eliminate the need to travel with multiple chargers and cables.
The wiPowerBand is available in 38 and 42 mm sizes and in several colors to accessorize the Apple Watch. iPowerBand.com is accepting orders via its website with planned delivery to customers in May-June. The manufacturer's suggested retail price starts at US$89.
CalDigit releases Tuff, T4 nano
CalDigit (www.caldigit.com) has revealed two new storage solutions. The first is the Tuff portable storage solution (pictured) for the new 12-inch MacBook.
This external drive features the brand new USB Type-C connector that features the USB Type-C interface. The Tuff portable storage solution features USB 3.1, with up to 10Gb/s bandwidth and support fort SSDs, as well as standard 2.5-inch spinning disks.
The Tuff is shock resistant, splash proof, and dust proof. It's also bus-powered, so there's no need to connect to an external power source. CalDigit says it will soon release a Tuff Dock that will allow Tuff users to connect their Tuff hard drives directly to the Tuff Dock.
The second new product is the T4 nano, a 4-bay PCIe SSD RAID storage device that also features HDMI output to connect to a monitor. This Thunderbolt 2 solution is a compact RAID 0, 1, 5 and JBOD device that utilizes four PCIe SSDs, with speeds up to 1375MB/s.
The T4 nano uses four removable PCIe SSDs. It features...
Apple updates Final Cut Pro X, Motion, Compressor
Apple has issued updates for its Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor apps.
Final Cut Pro X is Apple's US$2.99 high-end video editing app. Version 10.2 adds support for 3D titles, improved color grading and effects tools, support for additional camera formats, and GPU-accelerated processing of RAW footage from RED cameras.
Motion is Apple's $49.99 tool for customizing Final Cut Pro titles, transitions, and effects, and creating your own animations. With version 5.2 users can users can create custom materials and environments, and instantly publish them to Final Cut Pro X.
Compressor is a $49.99 utility for customizing output settings, working faster with distributed encoding, and tapping into other Final Cut Pro X features. Version 4.2 adds the ability to package movies for sale on iTunes.
All three updates are available for free for existing owners of the software at the Mac App Store.
Slice Intelligence estimates Apple Watch sales for April 10 at...
Slice Intelligence (http://intelligence.slice.com) estimates that 957,000 people in the U.S. pre-ordered an Apple Watch on Friday, the first day the watch was available for sale.
According to e-receipt data from a panel of two million online shoppers, each Apple Watch buyer ordered an average of 1.3 watches, spending US$503.83 per watch, according to the research group. Those ordering an Apple Watch Sport spent $382.83 per watch and those ordering the Apple Watch spent $707.04.
Among those buying an Apple Watch, 72%t purchased an Apple product in the past two years (iPhone, iPad, or Mac), and 21% of them pre-ordered an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus months ago. Nearly one-third purchased two Apple products and 11% bought all three devices, in addition to their new watch.
As expected, most consumers (62%) purchased the less-expensive Sport model. However, many Apple Watch buyers invested in the pricier case but the cheapest band, with more than one third adding a black or white Sport...
4SeTV brings 4-in-1 viewing experience to tablets, smartphones,...
4SeTV (http://tinyurl.com/pa299ov), a device that lets users select and watch four TV channels on the same screen, has been released. It splits a big screen TV into four sections and streams different content to each section.
What's more, four people in the same house, dorm or location can watch four different live TV shows at once on their tablet, smartphone or TV. Built on patent pending technology, 4SeTV uses over-the-air broadcasting and streams the HD content you want to see to your connected devices in your home network.
Sporting events account for 37% of all TV viewing today, and, inevitably, scheduling conflicts will arise. Sports fans often find themselves flipping through channels in an attempt to watch more than one game at a time — only to land on a channel just in time to see the crowd cheering wildly or that a game has ended. With 4SeTV, you can freely switch channels during a timeout or instant replay. You can monitor four shows on your mobile device, while you choose...
BlackMagic Design announces Camera Update 2.3
Blackmagic Design (www.blackmagic.com) has announced Blackmagic Camera 2.3, which is a major update for Blackmagic URSA cameras. This new software adds support for HD window mode allowing 150fps recording in 1920 x 1080 resolutions, adds support for ProRes 444 XQ, allows recording onto 2 CFast 2 cards simultaneously in RAW allowing higher frame rates in RAW and also adds support for the new V2 4K URSA image sensor which allows Ultra HD capture to 120 fps.
This new software update is available now to download from the Blackmagic Design support web site. Since its introduction, Blackmagic URSA has been used on multiple television commercials and feature films worldwide.
The new “window mode” allows customers to select up to 150 fps for allowing slow motion effects and other creative cinematography. The window mode keeps data rates lower, even when running at high frame rates because it doesn't use the whole 4K image sensor, but takes a 1920 x 1080 resolution window from the center of...
Maintain serves up Cocktail 7.8 Maverick Edition
Maintain has served up Cocktail 7.8 (http://cocktail.maintain.se) Maverick Edition, a new version of its Mac OS X utility that's compatible with Yosemite. This version adds the ability to clear the hibernate (sleepimage) file and ability to disable hibernate mode. It also contains improvements on the "Clear User caches" procedure.
Cocktail is a general purpose utility for OS X that lets you clean, repair and optimize your Mac. Its features are arranged into five categories that help you manage various aspects of your computer.
Cocktail 7.8 Mavericks Edition requires OS X Mavericks to run. When unregistered, Cocktail runs in demo mode and will expire after the tenth launch. Registration is US$19 for a single user license or $39 for a family license that covers up to five computers.
AnyTrans for Mac OS X adds support for iOS 8.3
iMobie (www.imobie.com/anytrans/) has launched AnyTrans 4.4 for Mac OS X. It's an update of the iPhone file management utility.
With AnyTrans you can transfer iPhone, iPod music to/from any Mac computer, copy photos, videos and apps between devices and Macs, export SMS messages and even the associated image/audio files and more. Version 4.4 adds a one-click feature for cloning all or selected content between all iDevices and all iOS versions, including the latest iOS 8.3.
AnyTrans costs US$39.99 for a single user license and $59.99 for a family license. It requires Mac OS X 10.8 or higher.
EditShare ships XStream EFS
EditShare has begun shipping EditShare XStream EFS. The distributed, fault-tolerant "scale out" storage system offers enterprise-class storage capabilities and collaboration features to a broad range of production and broadcast facilities.
XStream EFS includes EditShare’s smart media management tools and advanced project sharing. It’s built on a "blazing-fast, fault-tolerant architecture that can sustain any kind of mission critical workflow," says Andy Liebman, founder and CEO, EditShare.
Designed to support high-bandwidth, high-volume media ingest, transcoding, online collaborative editing and multiplatform distribution of HD, 2k, 4k and beyond, XStream EFS offers multiple levels of redundancy and scalability. The high-performance, low-latency storage solution integrates with industry standard broadcast and post-production systems including EditShare’s own Geevs (broadcast servers), Flow (media asset management), and Ark (backup and archiving) solutions, accelerating real-time...
DEVONagent 3.9.1 finds computer code and cooking recipes
DEVONtechnologies has updated all editions of its Internet search and research tool DEVONagent as well as the context-aware search assistant DEVONsphere Express.
All editions of DEVONagent 3.9.1 find code and answers on Stack Overflow and GitHub. These two sites are currently the most popular places for software developers on the web. Here they exchange code, ask questions, and discuss new ideas. In addition, DEVONagent Pro is now able to scan any found pages for cooking recipes or computer code. It presents the found snippets directly in the Search window.
The enhanced email address scanner of DEVONagent Pro 3.9.1 finds addresses also in metadata. Search results exported to DEVONthink save the name of the search set as well as the query in their comments. Finally, the new version shortens long entries in the History menu. It converts HTML to plain text better, and handles background tasks and web requests more reliably.
DEVONsphere Express 1.8.3 adds support for a number of file...
Apple releases iTunes 12.1.2
Apple has updated iTunes to version 12.1.2, adding support for syncing photos in the new Mac OS X to an iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
The upgrade also adds several refinements to the Get Info window in the media suite and improves overall stability of iTunes. iTunes 12.1.2 is available at the Mac App Store.
Pillars of Eternity launches on the Mac App Store
MacPlay (http://www.macplay.com) has made Pillars of Eternity 1.0.1, their role-playing game for OS X, available at the Mac App Store for US$44.99. It requires Mac OS X 10.6.3 or higher.
Here's how the game is described: "Pillars of Eternity is an RPG inspired by classic titles such as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment, featuring an original world and game system that evokes and improves upon the traditional computer RPG experience. Funded via Kickstarter in late 2012, raising $4.5 million through both backer pledges on Kickstarter and Obsidian's own website, Pillars of Eternity provides RPG fans with a unique experience, driven by classic aesthetics, modern design, and a deep, engaging world for players to explore."
Brattoo Propaganda Software introduces Duplicate Annihilator for...
Brattoo Propaganda Software has introduced Duplicate Annihilator for Photo. The It's a new edition of their duplicates annihilation software with support for Apple's Photos app for Mac OS X.
Anders Bjarby, CEO of Brattoo Propaganda Software, says syncing photos, iCloud, PhotoStream and various photo editing tools can easily result in unwanted duplicates in your Photos library. Duplicate Annihilator takes on the task of comparing the images in your Photos library, using algorithms to make sure that no duplicates escape.
Duplicate Annihilator or Photos sells for US$7.95 and is available worldwide from Brattoo Propaganda Software online (http://brattoo.com/propaganda/). It requires Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10 or higher and Photos 1.0.
Apple Watch orders will be taken online only starting Friday.
The Apple Watch will be available for preview and pre-order on Friday, April 10. However, pre-orders will only be taken online.
Customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US can try on and experience Apple Watch at their local Apple Store or at Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Isetan in Tokyo, Selfridges in London, and select Apple Authorized Resellers in Japan and China. Customers can pre-order their Apple Watch through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com) beginning April 10 at 12:01 a.m. (Pacific) for delivery beginning April 24.
“We are excited to welcome customers tomorrow and introduce them to Apple Watch, our most personal device yet. Based on the tremendous interest from people visiting our stores, as well as the number of customers who have gone to the Apple Online Store to mark their favorite Apple Watch ahead of availability, we expect that strong customer demand will exceed our supply at launch,” said Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s...
Audio Switcher for Mac OS X upgraded to version 2.5.4
Spike Software (www.spikesoft.net) has announced Audio Switcher 2.5.4, an update to its menubar applet utility for Mac OS X.
Audio Switcher allows you to switch your audio input and output between different audio devices. It supports a range of devices, as well as the built-in audio hardware of your Mac desktop or laptop. Version 2.5.4 includes a few bug fixes.
Audio Switcher requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later. Version 2.5.4 costs US$4.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Utilities category. Current users can receive the free update via the Mac Store.
EditShare Flow features scan/proxy support for 4K images
EditShare (www.editshare.com) has unveiled version 3.2 of its media asset management platform, EditShare Flow. The upgrade features scan and proxy support for 4K and image sequences, enhanced remote editing options, and new automation capabilities for transcoding and file delivery workflows.
Flow’s expanded format support means facilities like The Product Factory can better manage, preview and archive a variety of 4K formats such as ProRes 4444 XQ, Sony XAVC and RED (.R3D) files as well as "single-file-per-frame" formats including DPX, CinemaDNG, ARRIRAW, PNG and TIFF.
Enhancements to AirFlow, the Flow module that enables facilities to make media accessible through their own private cloud, allow users to batch-download both original media files or Flow proxies via a web browser from anywhere in the world, opening up new possibilities for remote collaboration and proxy workflows.
In addition to the wide-ranging format support and remote collaboration capabilities, Flow 3.2 offers new...
Apple releases iOS 8.3
Apple has released iOS 8.3 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. It includes performance improvements, bug fixes, and a tweaked emoji keyboard with more than 300 new emoji.
iOS 8.3 allows you to start speaker phone calls via Siri commands. The "personal digital assistant" also now recognizes languages like Portuguese, Russian, Thai, and Turkish.
The operating system update removes the need for account passwords when downloading free content from the iTunes Store and Apple App Store, and adds new filters to Messages. Apple has added filtering to cull unknown numbers in iMessage, and you can report messages as junk to Apple.
Other iOS 8.3 changes include wireless CarPlay (so you can connect an iOS device to a CarPlay systems without a Lightning cable), support for Google two-factor authentication (which lets you add Google accounts with no need for specific passwords), and Apple Pay support for the China UnionPay network. And, of course, there are bug fixes.
iOS 8.3 is available via...
Create Booklet is a new PDF booklet creation tool for Mac OS X
TheKeptPromise has introduced Create Booklet 1.0 (http://tinyurl.com/nyvqmx7), its new PDF booklet creation solution for Mac OS X.
Create Booklet is both an application and PDF Service that allows you to create a booklet "off almost anything from almost anywhere." It puts your pages side by side re-sorted for booklet printing.
Create Booklet requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later. It's being offered at the special introductory price of US$4.99 (50% off) and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Utilities category.
Karelia announces Sandvox hosting and ships Sandvox 2.10
Karelia Software has shipped Sandvox 2.10 and announced a new Sandvox Hosting service.
Sandvox 2.10 now provides access to the new Sandvox Hosting service in this update to the website building software for OS X. New Sandvox Hosting provides fundamental hosting from directly within Sandvox, integrated and optimized for hosting most Sandvox sites.
"Sandvox Hosting makes hosting a Sandvox site easier than ever," said Dan Wood, president of Karelia Software. "We created Sandvox from the idea that anybody should be able to create a website without having to learn HTML. Now, the combination of Sandvox 2.10 and Sandvox Hosting lets you publish a site by just entering your name and email address, and choosing a password. It's that easy."
The combination of Sandvox 2.10 and Sandvox Hosting provides customers an easy mechanism for hosting their site without the complexity of configuring a hosting setup, he adds. Sandvox users simply sign up directly from Sandvox and click the Publish button...
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.10.3 and new Photos app
Mac OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite has arrived and includes the new Photos app. It's a free upgrade via the Mac App Store.
Both Aperture, Apple’s US$79.99 pro photo editing software, and iPhoto, geared more toward non-pro end users, are replaced by the Photos, which Apple debuted during the 2014 Worldwide Developer Conference. The new “grounds-up photo solution” will mirror features of the Photos app in iOS 8. Features of the Photos app, according to Apple, include the ability to:
° Browse photos by time and location in Moments, Collections, and Years views
° Navigate a library using convenient Photos, Shared, Albums, and Projects tabs
° Store all of your photos and videos in iCloud Photo Library in their original format and in full resolution
° Perfect photos with powerful and easy to use editing tools that optimize with a single click or slider, or allow precise adjustments with detailed controls
° Create professional-quality photo books with simplified bookmarking tools, new Apple-...
PlugBug adds USB charging back to the 12-inch MacBook
Apple's 12-inch MacBook, which goes on sale Friday, features a single USB-C port for both power and connectivity. This prevents the laptop from charging your iPhone, iPad or any other standard USB device without additional adapters.
However, you can add Twelve South's (www.twelvesouth.com) PlugBug to the new MacBook USB-C Power Adapter, and gain back a standard USB power port to charge your iOS device and your new MacBook at the same time — all from one plug. PlugBug World even adapts your new MacBook for international travel.
There are two versions. The basic PlugBug (US$34.99) is a 2.1-Amp USB wall charger that attaches to, and converts, any MacBook Power Adapter into a dual charger. With PlugBug, you can charge your new MacBook and iPhone, iPad or Watch simultaneously, from a single outlet.
The PlugBug World ($44.99) is a dual charger. Just like PlugBug, PlugBug World piggybacks onto the MacBook Power Adapter, creating a dual charger for MacBook and iPhone or iPad or Apple Watch....
CleanMyMac revved to version 3, gets a Yosemite makeover
MacPaw has released CleanMyMac 3 for Mac OS X. In the newest version, CleanMyMac 3 is updated to further optimize Macs and improve the quality of cleaning.
The app has gotten a whole new Yosemite makeover and now, not only cleans up disk space, but also monitors Mac performance, maintains Mac health, and provides users with even more advanced cleaning options. Mail and iTunes can be now cleaned with CleanMyMac, including gigabytes of email attachments and downloads in Mail, and broken downloads, outdated iOS updates, and more, in iTunes.
CleanMyMac 3's Maintenance feature lets users repair disk permissions, reindex Spotlight, and speed up Mail, and Privacy cleans up chat logs, browser history, and more. Performance is displayed in real time on the CleanMyMac 3 Dashboard. Alerts inform users on how the hardware is holding up.
CleanMyMac 3 costs US$39.95. Current CleanMyMac users can upgrade to CleanMyMac 3 with a 50% discount. A demo is available here (http://tinyurl.com/jwlbxtu).
WaterField Designs unveils 12-inch Travel Express MacBook Case
WaterField Designs (www.sfbags.com) has refreshed the MacBook Retina Travel Express with new colors and materials in a custom size for the 12-inch MacBook, which is due for release Friday.
The case is designed to protect the laptop and organize everything all in one place. The Travel Express MacBook case protects laptop, power adapter, and accessories on the go. MacBook users can now choose an all-black ballistic nylon, a tan waxed canvas, or a black, blue or red soft perforated nylon case to complement their wardrobe.
The MacBook Travel Express can be stashed inside a bag or worn over the shoulder with the optional strap. It costs US$89, and D-rings are included. Available options include a Simple Strap for $12, and a suspension shoulder strap for $22. The MacBook Travel Express is available for preorder from the WaterField Designs store. It will ship April 17.
LinkOptimizer 4.9.37 for Adobe InDesign improves color profiles...
Zevrix Solutions (www.zevrix.com) has announced LinkOptimizer 4.9.37, a maintenance update to its workflow automation solution for Adobe InDesign.
LinkOptimizer allows you to automatically reduce the size of InDesign picture links and speed up processing by eliminating excess image data, performing essential image adjustments and converting image formats. The new version improves automatic handling of ICC color profiles during image processing in Adobe Photoshop.
LinkOptimizer can be purchased from Zevrix website for US$259.95 (a "lite" version is available for $179.95). A demo is available for download. The update is free for LinkOptimizer 4.x users and $130 to upgrade from previous versions. LinkOptimizer requires Mac OS X 10.6-10.10 and Adobe InDesign and Photoshop CS3-CC 2014.
YouTube Downloader updated to download 4K video
MacXDVD Software (www.macxdvd.com) has released an update (version 4.0) for MacX YouTube Downloader, the app for downloading video content.
Version 4.0 supports 4K video downloads. Customers can download videos from Facebook, Vimeo, Vevo, Dailymotion and another 300-plus online video sites.
MacX YouTube Downloader is free. It requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.
MCE releases Aluminum USB 3.0 Blu-ray/DVD/CD Recorder/Player for...
MCE Technologies (http://tinyurl.com/khvlneg) has begun shipping an Aluminum USB 3 Blu-ray/DVD/CD Recorder designed for all Macs with, or without, a built-in optical drive.
The enclosure material is aluminum, the interface is USB 3.0, and it includes Mac Blu-ray Player software in order to watch Blu-ray movies on the Mac. It is compatible with all forms of optical disc media including M-Disc 25GB Blu-ray media.
The retail price of the Aluminum USB 3 Blu-ray/DVD/CD Recorder is US$99.95. It's available immediately.
Default Folder X 4.7 for Mac OS X expands Filename fields
St. Clair Software (http://tinyurl.com/2gm24v) has launched Default Folder X 4.7 today, an update to their utility for Mac OS X.
Default Folder X enhances the file dialogs in all Mac OS X applications. Its custom keyboard shortcuts put your favorite and recent folders at your fingertips. It provides fast navigation to your files, previews, integrated Spotlight tagging, and more. Version 4.7 expands the filename edit field in Save dialogs and fixes several bugs (and un-fixes one).
Default Folder X 4.7 requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher. It's a free update for version 4 users. It costs US$34.95 for new users.
Reggie Ashworth releases MAS AppDelete Lite 4.0
Reggie Ashworth (www.reggieashworth.com) has announced AppDelete Lite 4.0, an update to his Mac application deletion utility via the Mac App Store.
Via drag and drop, AppDelete Lite will uninstall anything along with all of the associated items. Mac users will no longer have to hunt through their system to find and delete these items manually.
App Delete Lite 4.0 sports a new user interface and a revised workflow. It's optimized for operation on Yosemite (but is still backwards compatible with Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks). It's also now sandboxed to meet latest requirements for the Mac App Store.
AppDelete Lite 4.0 costs US$3.99 at the Mac App Store. AppDelete Lite users to upgrade to AppDelete for an additional $3.99, but only via the AppDelete/AppDelete Lite website.
